SARDIS– James “Jim” Fenny Dettor, 84, died Saturday, November 3, 2007, at his residence.
Services are today at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Forrest Memorial Park Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home Home has charge.

Dettor, born June 3, 1923, to the late Joseph Hampton and the late Laura Etelle Wilson Dettor, was a member of Shady Grove Baptist Church. He retired in 1985 from the Mississippi Highway Department after 31 years of service.

Survivors include: his wife, Ann Hanks Dettor of Sardis; two daughters, Judy Dettor Warren of Senatobia and Mary Dettor Reeder of Sardis; three sons, Joe Dettor of Sardis, Mike Dettor of Batesville and Robert Dettor of Jackson; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Memorials may be made to Shady Grove Baptist Church or Baptist Hospice.

BATESVILLE– Dr. John Rupert Lovelace, 85, died Thursday, November 1, 2007.

Services were Saturday at the Batesville Presbyterian Church. Burial was in Magnolia Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.

Lovelace, born Aug. 23, 1922, in Indianola, to the late Erma Elizabeth Hogin Lovelace and the late DeWitt Samuel Lovelace, graduated from Mississippi State University in 1939. He served as a bomber pilot in WWII in the Pacific Theater from 1942-1946. Upon his return from the war, he married Sarah Ann Nickle and returned to school at the University of Mississippi, where he received his medical certificate. Finishing first in his class, Dr. Lovelace was selected to continue his medical studies at Harvard University, where he received his medical degree in 1950.

Following receipt of his medical degree, Dr. Lovelace, interned in 1950-1951 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich. He entered a general practice at Batesville in 1951 and remained there until 1953 when he left to enter a surgery residency at University of Tennessee and City of Memphis Hospitals. He was named Chief Resident in Surgery at the University of Tennessee in 1956 and remained in that post until 1958 when he returned to Batesville for the general practice of surgery.

He served on the South Panola School District Board of Trustees. He was a director of the Panola County Federal Savings and Loan Association, the Batesville Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club of Batesville, where he was a Paul Harris fellow.

He served as vice president of the Mississippi State Medical Association. He was member of the Mississippi State Board of Health, president of the Mississippi Chapter of the American College of Surgeons and also a board member of the Institution of Higher Learning for 12 years, serving as president of the board.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Sarah Ann Nickle Lovelace.

Survivors include: one daughter, Rebecca Lovelace Black and husband, Marion; two sons, Dr. Michael Hogin Lovelace and wife, Sharon and John Rupert Lovelace Jr. and wife, Beth; eight grandchildren, Cortney Ann Lovelace Butler and husband, Lindsay, Dr. David Albritton Black, Tyler Warren Lovelace, Andrew Lovelace Black, Mary John Lovelace White and husband, Josh, Sarah Spears Black, Taylor Elizabeth Lovelace, Morgan Kathryn Lovelace and one great-grandson, Colton Todd Bulter.

Memorials may be made to Batesville Presbyterian Church in lieu of flowers.

BATESVILLE– Ruby Williams Kennedy, 60, died Thursday, November 1, 2007, at Baptist Hospital East.

Services were Saturday at Kimbro Funeral Home in Marks. Rev. Bobby Bell officiated. Burial was in Crowder Cemetery. Kimbro Funeral Home of Marks had charge.

Kennedy, born Aug. 8, 1947, was a homemaker.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur Carroll Kennedy.

Survivors include: two daughters, Ruby Fowler of Crowder and Nita Bratcher of Batesville; one son, John Kennedy of Sardis; one sister, Carolyn Williams of Arkansas; two brothers, James Williams and Marvin Williams of Crowder; her mother, Vera Mae Williams of Crowder and eight grandchildren.

CROWDER–Dorothy Lavada Self Martin, 78, died Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2007, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services were Friday at Dickins Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was in Crowder Cemetery. Rev. Larry Kilgore officiated. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.

Mrs. Martin was born January 4, 1929 to John Henry and Doris Lehr Self in Quitman County.

She was preceded in death by her husband Joe P. Martin and  brother John H. Self Jr.

Survivors include: four sons, Henry Martin of Byhalia, Larry Martin of Oxford,  and Jim and Bob Martin of Crowder; one brother, Curtis Self of Memphis; one sister Jeanette Cook of Barton; five grandchildren,  Sherry, Richard, Kristi, Jamey and Amanda and five great grandchildren, Nikki, JT, Tyler, Kendall and Levi.

BATESVILLE– Richard Wesley “R.W.” Matthews, 76, retired salesman for Taylor Lumber Company and former farmer, died Sunday, October 28, 2007, at Baptist Memorial Hospital North Mississippi in Oxford.  

Services were Thursday at Black Jack Presbyterian Church with Rev. Sarah Groh and Rev. Don Howie officiating.   Burial was in Black Jack Cemetery. Waller Funeral Home had charge.   

Matthews was a salesman for Southern Hardware, a crew supervisor for the Mississippi Highway Department, and a supervisor for the Mississippi Park Commission.  He was a member of Black Jack Presbyterian Church.  For more than 40 years, he served the church in various capacities.  He was an Elder, a Deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, chairman of the cemetery fund, and more recently, chairman of the Christian Education Committee.   He was a founding member of the Panola Presbyterian Partnership and an active member of St. Andrews Presbytery.  He and his wife were avid genealogists and members of the Panola County Historical and Genealogical Society.   He was a charter member of the Mississippi Republican National Committee, a Veteran of the U.S. armed forces and a member of the American Legion.   

He was preceded in death by his wife, Bettie Ann Branch Matthews.

Survivors include:  two daughters, Rebekah Therrell Laws of Birmingham, Ala. and Sharon Therrell Bowers of San Francisco, Calif.; two sons, Baine Therrell of St. Petersburg, Fla. and Peter Therrell of Atlanta, Ga. and six grandchildren.   

The family has asked that expressions of sympathy or memorial contributions in Mr. Matthews memory be made to Black Jack Cemetery Fund, c/o Shelley Russell, 32652 Black Jack Road, Batesville, MS 38606.

COURTLAND–Carl Michael “Mike” Sharp Jr., 38, died Sunday, November 4, 2007, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services are Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home Chapel. Robert Rawson will officiate. Burial will be in Forrest Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be today 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Sharp, born Feb. 11, 1969, was an electrician for Tri-Star Mechanical.

He was preceded in death by his father, Carl M. Sharp Sr.

Survivors include: his wife, Candy French Sharp of Courtland; one daughter, Amber Nicole Sharp of Courtland; two sons, Shawn Scott Jenkins of Courtland and Carl Michael Sharp III of Courtland; his parents, Cheryl Ann Bishop and step-father, Kirby Ellis Bishop of Batesville; one sister, Helen Michelle Sharp Little of Birmingham, Ala.; his step-sister, Chanda Lasha Bishop of Oxford and two uncles, Charles Steven Sharp of Hernando and Joseph Warren Sharp of Dallas, Texas.

BATESVILLE– Doris B. Youngblood, 83, died Thursday, November 1, 2007, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services were Saturday at Wells Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was in Forrest Memorial Park Cemetery. Kevin Crofford officiated. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Youngblood, born May 3, 1924, to the late Wesley and Ethel Berry Brister in Memphis, was a homemaker and a member of Tocowa Baptist Church.

Survivors include: one daughter, Deborah Youngblood Eckles of Sardis; two sons, Ken Youngblood and Dick Youngblood, both of Memphis; two brothers, Ray Brister of Batesville and Pat Brister of Gamaliel, Ark.; three sisters, Katie Brister Garcia of Yuma, Ariz., Charlotte Brister Slay of Clinton and Ann Brister Williams of Batesville and six grandchildren.